Unit 2: Part 2 A Country with a Future

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Transcript of Unit 2: Part 2 A Country with a Future

A Country with a FuturePart II: 1825 1898Period 2: 1825 - 1868Sugar, Slavery and DespotismSugar industry dominates from 1825 - 1850Commercial relations with the United States dominatesPeak of the slave trade 1825 - 1835Increasing foreign immigrationRégimen de la Libreta - Notebook RegimeDespotic colonial government: tough on government opponents and privileges to peninsular minoritiesGrito de Lares - RebellionContinuation of the forging of a new colonial pact1824 - 1898Economy: Rapid expansion of an export economy the best coastal lands for sugar and in the interior for coffee and tobacco Population: rapid and constant growth: European free immigration and African slavesSocial: Gradually becomes a class society based on income Politics: Modern movements and political parties Cultural: The Puerto Rican cultural personality is definedSugar IndustrySugar industry, melao and rumHaciendas multiplied and some grew in size and capacity - even 500 acres (cuerdas)Three types:trapiches de bueyes: mills moved by oxentrapiches de vapor - 20 - 25 most advancedtrapiches de viento - windmills - least Where? Coastal PlainsIncreased on original region - from Loiza to AreciboTransformed region of south and west: Ponce , Guayama and Mayaguez: 54% by 1828 By 1850: PR was the second producer of sugar in the Caribbean (after Cuba) and one of the ten greatest producers in the world.TradeSugar affected our commercial relations -Real Cédula de Gracias - opened island ports to friendly nations - trade between PR and US will increase progressively.Even before 1850 US bought almost 3/4 of our sugar cropUS became the country with the most commercial importanceAlthough sugar was our most important crop most of the century - Spain never bought a significant part of this cropPR Became a Double Dependency State: Political dependency on Spain, Economic dependency on U.S. Trade

Slave TradeFrom 1825 to 1835 : peak of the slave tradeAbout 60,000 to 80,000 "bozales" or slaves directly from AfricaSince 1820 it was illegal because of an international agreement with Great BritainSpanish government chose to ignore the prohibition and continued permitting it.Inhuman treatment of slaves, suicide, resistance and rebellions were commonby 1845 slave trade ended in PRhigh prices for slavesLower prices for sugarBritish insistence Spanish authorities policies to force the free labor to work solving the problems of lack of "hands"Work in the Fields of the haciendas was difficult but it was even worst in the Sugar refineries – tiring and dangerous

Foreign ImmigrationAfter - 1815: Real Cédula de Gracias & because of the sugar industry impulseWho came: Americans, French, Germans, Italians, Corsicans, Dutch, British, ScotsEuropean colonies in the Lesser Antilles - Danish St. Thomas, Dutch Curacao, British and French islands Emigrations from Venezuela, Sto. DomingoWomen: some came with their fathers or husbands, some were single: especially blacks or mulattoes from the neighboring islands - possibly for domestic jobs - cooks, launderers, seamstresses & servantsFrom all social classes:Wealthy whites who became prominent merchants or hacendadosMost were workers: Blacks and mulattoes: young and unmarried - - skilled: carpenters, coopers, stewards, bakers, tailors and launderers Effects: enriched our culture, impulse to commerce and urban centers (Ponce) They had to show the libretas once a month in the municipaliy. Prohibited the agregadosJornaleros had to move to the towns. Although it increased the number of workers . . . Jornaleros did anything not to work in ingenios.How did it work? Reactions in the island:Landowners liked it.Enlightened sectors of Criollos opposed it.Not good for agricultural development: Kept labor cheap.No need to modernizeLabor was not as productive.Despotic Authoritarian Colonial governmentsCentralization in the Administration -belonged to the Governor - municipal autonomy lost Unlimited power to this military governors Persecution of all liberals - reformists or separatists Diversion of a very large part of the island rents, collected through taxes to the Spanish treasure - to be used in things that had nothing to do with the islandThe use of part of that money for paying the salaries of the peninsulares who occupied the government jobsExtreme militarization of the island - after loosing in Latin America many officers and troops will be stationed in the island Censorship - Any information considered seditious - "anti - Spanish" Closing of newspaper El Ponceño for publishing a poem "Agueybana el Bravo" backwardness in Education - even though Liberals and some governors wanted to improve education - there were never enough funds for more schools or more teachers outside the most important townsRafael Cordero - Cigar maker - El maestro Rafael - Padre Rufo Manuel Fernández Why ? Political malaise after Spain fails again in recognizing the needs of the colonies in the Junta Informativa. ****Economic hardships after end of U.S. Civil War:Sugar prices fell, contraction of credit, hurricane, earthquakesGovernment presses for collection of taxesHacendados loosing landSocial conflicts: exploitation of the slaves, free workers - libreta law, smallholders, indebted landowners. Conflicts between the hacendados (coffee) and the peninsulares merchants that exploited them.What were the plans?Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee Revolutionary Cells were established: Mayagüez, Lares, Camuy, & Pepino.Planned to start in Camuy Sept. 29 along with a Cuban Revolt - Grito de YaraWhat happened?Spanish authorities heard of conspiracy & searched house of leader of Camuy finding evidence of plans.Lares decides to start revolution the 23rd & informs Mayagüez & PepinoManuel Rojas – coffee hacendado – led around 600 armed with shotguns, revolvers, & machetes to Lares. Took town, arrested municipal authorities & Spanish merchants, Proclaimed Republic of Puerto Rico, Set up a Provisional government, Next morning: Church – Te Deum Marched to Pepino hoping to take it with help of cell there, but Authorities had prepared for this and were waiting. Revolutionaries fell back to Lares where Matías Bruckman – hacendado from Mayagüez had joined. Leaders decided on guerrilla operation in mountains & wait for arms from Betances. El Telégrafo – boat with arms was confiscated in Saint ThomasArrests around the island prevented other uprisings Régimen de la Libreta: Notebook or Passbook regimeProblem: Free labor did not want to work in plantations Why? Plenty of land – easy food & shelter 1831: Governor Miguel López de Baños Bando de Policía y Buen Gobierno: Orders all unemployed landless peasants to work on local plantations1849 – Ley de la Libreta – Governor Juan de la Pezuela: all workers had to carry the ledger where the employer would record services & how. Severe penalties on those who did not carry them. Compulsory Labor: Lasted 24 years: 1849 - 1873Juan de la PezuelaDictatorial regime but brought economic growth: Centralized administration – more efficiency – inspectionsFostered sugar production & plantation economy & slaves Public works: churches, bridges, roads, Plazas, Municipal TheatreImproved island defenses & military forces.Policy of "dance, drink and dice" (baile, botella y baraja), implying that a well entertained population will not think about revolution.

Miguel de la TorreGovernor of the island for 15 years. (1822 – 1837)Gobierno de las 3 Bs "Enlightened Despot"Maestro Rafael CorderoPadre RufoJuan Prim y PratsBlack Codes & many arbitrary and cruel lawsMiguel López de BañosBando de Policia y Buen GobiernoEvery laborer must work free with the government one day a week or pay a fineGrito de LaresBetances: Doctor, abolitionist and leader of Independence movement. Wrote Ten Commandments of Free Men. Lives in Paris as an exile most of this life.Segundo Ruiz Belvis Our Representative at the Junta Informativa - Abolitionist and Separatist Dies in Chile looking for supportMariana Bracetti – Leader in Lares & made flag

Leader in Lares - In his plantation the rebels met and started the rebellion (Venezuelan) Leader of the group in Mayaguez that joins the rebellion & dies during el Grito (North American) Ramón Emeterio BetancesIntellectual leader of the movement. Plans it from exile - Dominican Republic. Gets funds and armaments - boat: El Telegrafo Colonial Policies*****1812 - 14 : Constitution of 1812 - colonies are provinces1814 - 1820: Ferdinand VII restores absolutism - colonies loose all rights1820 - 1823: Constitution of 1812 - liberals dominate Spain - Ferdinand forced to accept Constitutions - back to provinces 1823 - 1836 : colonies have no rights1837 - 1864: New less liberal constitution is approved in Spain after death of Ferdinand, but the colonies are not included - they promise Leyes especiales - Special laws - - Period of "Forced Peace" 1860s: Representatives of Cuba and Puerto Rico are called to Spain to a Junta Informativa: Inquiry Board - - to discuss what special laws should be establishedPuerto Rico sends Diputados or Representatives who will among other things ask for the immediate with or without compensation abolition of slavery and an autonomous government with equal rights as Spanish citizens . . . just unfulfilled promisesNothing happens - no consequencesIn 1527 - first major slave rebellion occurred in Puerto Rico as dozen of slaves fought against the colonist in a brief revoltBy 1873 - 20 slave revolts From 1795 to 1848: 22 slave conspiracies have been identified by historians.Only 5 took place during governorship of De la TorreRepressive Measures of De La Torre: Example:July 10, 1826 – Ponce: 4 slaves confided on master on conspiracy plot.Slaves arrested, interrogated, put on trial by military tribunal: 11 sentenced to death & shot in the presence of others who were sentences to work for government in Havana shipyards, or work in shackles on master’s haciendas.Incident reported on La Gaceta – moralizing on how the peace and tranquility was owed to the prompt effectiveness of gov.Informers were given their freedom & 25 pesos.

Grito de LaresConsequences:551 arrested – 80 died in jail - yellow fever7 leaders judged in military tribune – condemned to death but commuted to prison & sent to Cadiz No other prisoner was judged or sentenced. New Governor declared amnestySpanish authorities were more vigilant of anti - Spanish activities but also more sensitive to the public opinionWhy it failed: Organizational structure and level of political awareness of plotters was rudimentaryImportance: although it was headed by foreign hacendados with economic problems it represented the interests of most Puerto RicansSlaves – abolitionFree laborers – end of libretaFarmers - end of extortion & control by the Spanish merchantsProfessionals & rentiers – political power

Third Period: 1869 - 1898Coffee Plantation boom and Criollo AffirmationCoffee boomBy 1875 : Rise in the international demand of CoffeePrices went up especially after 1886The center and west of the Cordillera Central - Coffee zonesBy the end of the 1880s - PR was the fourth producer of coffee in Latin AmericaExports went from 4,700,000 in 1886 to 14,000,000 by 1896For 20 years the economic importance of our mountains surpassed the coastal areas.Population growth in the area - migrants some permanent, others seasonalCoffee Plantation WorkersCoffee growers/farmers:Some were the sons or grandsons of the cattle ranchers who had extensive land in the mountainsOthers were descendents of the poor peasants that had emigrated in the first half of the century from the coastal areas to the interior looking for a better life... land. 'correcostas'- - only lived in the mountains during the harvestChange in the economic conditions of the peasant families:Before: Women and children worked all year in their plots of land either rented or just occupied. Adult women and girls also did domestic labor like sewing, washing cloth and taking care of children.Now: they also had to work outside their plots/homes: All were potential coffee plantation workers - even 3 years old could pick coffee from the floor or in the lower branchesWomen picked and sorted grains like men - only the toughest jobs would be reserved for menLast three decades of the 19th century - filled with misery and despair for most peasants: more workers lost their traditional subsistence plotsless food contributed to worst healthRelative abundance during harvest period followed by months of scarcity - when maybe one member of the family could find a menial job ('"çhivos") Privileged minority benefited from high prices of coffee: plantation owners and merchants from towns in coffee region and port citieslife expectancy for the poor 'jibaro' was not good:barefoot, ignorant of hygiene measures, lacking basic medical services - died youngQuest for AutonomyEmergence of Political Parties in Puerto RicoSince the beginning of the Century: two tendencies:Conservatives: Civilian and military government employees Influential businessmen - Spaniards mostly - peninsulares - wanted economic changes onlyLiberals or Reformists: Majority of professionals, Small farmers, cattlemen, Industrialists & Criollos businessmen, Majority of middle & Lower classes; want political, economic, and social changes - - legal peaceful road.1870: Two Political PartiesPartido Liberal ReformistaPolitical assimilation of Island (be a Province of Spain)Professional and intellectual elites – landed classPartido Liberal ConservadorConservatives – incondicionales – SpaniardsDefend the status quo – no changes in political situation1880s: Elections to a Provincial Assembly (Diputación Provincial) and to municipalities & representatives (Diputados) to the courts - since Reformistas were winning most elections - conservadores convinced Spanish governor to limit the people who could vote. Reformistas divide in two tendencies: defenders of assimilation and those that wanted autonomy1887: Partido Autonomista Puertorriqueño was founded in Ponce - its leader will be Román Baldorioty de CastroPartido Autonomista PuertorriqueñoPolitical identity with Spain & administrative autonomyWants Self Government for island – greatest possible liberty , individual rights of men. Decentralization, control of budget, direct taxation, freedom of commerce, industry & educationSince 1885 liberals were adopting this formula and abandoning assimilation as their objective:needs of the middle professional and artisan classneeds of small and medium size farm owners - especially the coffee farmscomplained about: very little democratic participation, excessive centralization of power in the governor, excessive bureaucracy paid by their taxesNumerous newspapers ( El País, El Clamor del País) were published during this period in the island supporting Autonomy and debating the official newspaper of the conservatives: Boletín MercantílRevolución Gloriosa in SpainSeptember 18, 1868Military pronouncement – Juntas formed all over – Queen Isabel II exiled in FranceFive years of turmoil: Generals, Cortes, constitution, crown given to Amadeo of Savoy – abdicates in 1873Brief Spanish Republic1875 son Alfonso XII was crownedEvents in SpainAbolition of SlaveryMarch 22, 1873Most lasting action of the Republican Period in Spain was the Abolition of slavery Abolition was implemented without problems -celebrationsVery small impact on agriculture or commerce3 years contract to employerFormer masters - indemnified

Terrible year 1887Año TerribleEconomic crisis in island - reflecting international crisis.Aggravating circumstances in PR: commercial monopoly of some merchants (majority "peninsulares" or Spaniards Liberal criollos will organize secret societies to boycott the businesses of the 'peninsulares': La Boicotizadora, La Torre del Viejo, Los Secos, Los Mojados (Buy only from criollo merchants)Some violence: looting, fires against some Spanish businessesIn the eyes of the government authorities and the 'incondicionales': the anti - spanish campaign was alarming and they blamed the 'autonomistas' Governor Romualdo Palacios from his summer home in Aibonito coordinated a series of raids against autonomistas from the region of Juana Diaz and Ponce especially. Dozens of people were tortured by the Guardia Civil - - tortures - Compontes

Some arrested were killed (supposedly trying to escape)Some in despair committed suicideBaldorioty & other leaders from the Autonomist Party were arrested & some were even beaten up - taken to the dungeons of el MorroSome conservatives led their own investigations & aggressions against liberal autonomists etc. The Year of the 'Compontes' 1887Liberals sent to St. Thomas someone who sent to the only liberal deputy of P.R. – Rafael M. de Labra – to inform the Government in Spain of the abuses - Palacios will be relieved of his command by November. What made this year so terrible?Government was violating the same Penal Code that they had established - the only 'crime' of these people had been to be liberals autonomists - (which was legal)This systematic pattern of abuse by government created panic among the Puerto Ricans and accentuated the defects of the colonial systemPermanent scars - - Spain lost many loyalties in the island.The Road to the Autonomist Charter - Carta AutonómicaBaldorioty de Castro – sick and impoverished, resigned as leader of Autonomists & dies.there were differences on the type of autonomy they wanted:What Ireland was asking for, What Canada had or just flexibility to reach tariff agreements with U.S.there were differences on to which Spanish party should they make a pact with: With Republican (Centralists) Party (Labra)With a party that had a better chance of winning ( liberal monarchical party) – Liberal Fusionists – Luis Muñoz Rivera

Autonomy at lastFeb. 1895 – Cuba had started Second War for IndependencePR separatists in exile join them and even plan for an invasion that would be led by Juan Rius Rivera but give up and continue to press to be included in any negotiations. ]August 8, 1897 – Spanish Prime Minister is assassinated – Queen Regent Maria Cristina asks Sagasta to head a new cabinet. Sagasta immediately decides to do what he had promised Three decrees: Political and Civil rights to Spanish citizens of the island.Electoral law of 1896 would apply - all Spaniards 25 or older who had their civil rights & were residents for 2 years (not military). Secret ballotAutonomous regime to Puerto Rico.Luis Muñoz Riverayoung newspaperman – Barranquitas Chief promoter of alliance with a party that would promise autonomy to islandLa Democracia his newspaper – campaign supporting a pact with Spanish Liberal Fusionist Party of Práxedes Mateo SagastaA commission went to Spain and made a pact with Sagasta: joined their political party in exchange for support of Autonomy if they won (Feb. 1897)Not everyone in the party in PR was in agreement of the pact:they did not want to join the Partido Liberal Fusionista of Sagasta because it was a monarchical liberal party and they believed in a republican governmentDr. José Celso Barbosa created the Partido Autonomista Histórico (Ortodoxo) Orthodox Historical Autonomist Partyfrom Bayamón – studied Medicine in Michigan – great admirer of the Republican government of U.S.

Our brief Autonomic governmentSpain keeps sovereignty over the islands: they retain military authority, administration of justice, control over diplomatic affairs. Governor is the guardian of the constitution & represents the crown.Autonomic government had control over internal affairs and over the relations between the island and its commercial partners. Amending the new government: Changes could not be made unless it was at the request of the insular parliament. First Election – March 1898 autonomistas lead by Muñoz Rivera (Liberal Fusionista) win control of cabinet & legislature.March 1898 : 82, 000 votes for the Fusionistas, 16,000 for the orthodox, 2,000 for the incondicionales - conservatives

Governor General – named by SpainCabinet: a President and 5 ministers appointed by governor Governor has broad powers – law & order, security, appointed judiciary, budgetCabinet – 3 members selected of majority party in parliamentExecutive BranchLegislative BranchAdministrative Council – (Senate) 15 members – 8 elected ( ½ reelected every 2years)7 named by governor – had to be native or 4 year resident, a yearly income & no contract with government. Position for life.Immunity during sessions – except caught in flagranti or treasonHouse of Representatives 32 elected for 5 yearsMet annually – Governor convenes them and could close it but must reopen in 3 months Originates measures of taxation & credit ImmunityMake local laws, control budget, set tariff duties, negotiate commercial treaties with foreign nations, which would be made by government in Spain. Treaties made by Spain that affected island would be submitted to the insular government.Education, welfare, transportationMunicipal governments: Ayuntamientos – local legislature Education, transportation, health, budget, municipal loans, referendums.

Seating: L. Muñoz Rivera, Mariano Quiñones, Manuel Fernández Juncos; Standing: Juan Hernández López, José Severo Quiñones y Manuel F. RossyThe end of the Spanish Empire in AmericaCuba was still fighting for their independence February 1898: Explosion of the Maine in the Havana harborWho did it?Who was blamed?President of the U.S. William McKinley asked Congress to declare war against Spain - April 1898 Spanish - Cuban - American - War May 12, 1898 Admiral Sampson bombarded San Juan - making the war very real ...the inauguration of the Autonomic government was postponed to July 17Eight days later the American army invaded the island: July 25, 1898According to the Times, "the north end of Morro Castle was in ruins, the Cabras Island fort was silenced, and the San Carlos battery was damaged. Although the Americans suffered only two casualties and seven injuries, the Spanish Governor General of Puerto Rico issued a proclamation saying eight soldiers were killed and 34 wounded as a result of the bombardment of the forts at San Juan."